'This is not normal': Cape sees 15 shootings in less than a year

The amount of gun violence in Cape Girardeau is a new and troubling phenomenon for city councilwoman Shelly Moore, who has lived in the city for 50 years.

“This is not normal,” she said.

The style and circumstances around some of the shootings alarms Stop Needless Acts of Violence Please (SNAP) members, who met for a vigil Friday night near the site of Airious Darling’s killing March 31.

The first Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad investigation of 2015 began in the afternoon of June 29. Paige Smith was sitting on the porch between two other women when she was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting.

Although she suffered severe injuries, Smith survived, police said. About a month later, police arrested two 16-year-olds for the crime.

“My main concern is that you’re talking about young people,” Zoia Martin said.

Cape Girardeau police have investigated at least 14 shootings since the June 29 incident. Police have made nine arrests as a result of

investigations, including the two suspects arrested for Smith’s shooting.

The average age of those arrested was 20.

Counting Smith’s shooting, four of the 15 shootings occurred in broad daylight.

One, a shooting in December of an uncooperative victim, was at a corner where children would be dropped off for school just three hours later, one neighbor said. Several cases involved victims who were unwilling to give much information about their attackers.

The circumstances of Darling’s killing stand out in terms of brutality.

“We don’t have to look beyond this past weekend to realize that the cost of gun violence is the loss of innocent lives,” police chief Wes Blair said. “A completely innocent man lost his life while holding an infant in his arms. There is no justification for that.”

Felice Roberson, leader of SNAP, was more succinct in her assessment of Darling’s killing.

“We can’t let that happen again,” she said.

In response, Cape Girardeau police conducted targeted patrols in high-crime areas to act as a deterrent for future shootings, public-information officer Adam Glueck said. The department also will be part of a street-crimes task force with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Police Department and Charleston, Missouri, Police Department. The task force is meant to track the movements of suspects among Southeast Missouri cities.

“Resorting to guns to settle disputes is not only senseless; it is cowardly, and the officers of the CGPD will continue to work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice,” Blair said.

With three shootings in three days from March 31 to April 2, there is concern among police about what summer may bring.

“We’re typically busier in summer months,” Glueck said.

The following is a breakdown of each shooting that has occurred in Cape Girardeau since June 29:

June 29: Paige Smith was shot in the head at 2:46 p.m. on a porch at 401 S. Hanover St. Police described the shooting as a drive-by, and the Major Case Squad was activated. Although Smith was injured severely, she survived. Ajai J. McReynolds and Zachary Valenti, both 16, were arrested July 29 and charged as adults with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. Keisha McReynolds, Ajai’s mother, was charged with hindering prosecution in the case. Ajai McReynolds is scheduled for a case review 9 a.m. Monday in Jackson. Keisha McReynolds pleaded guilty March 21 and received a $1,000 fine. Valenti is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing Oct. 17 and jury trial Oct. 26 through 28.

July 15: A man entering an apartment building at 10:20 p.m. in the 2800 block of Whitener Street was shot by a man standing near the building. The victim was taken to the hospital with injuries that were described as not life-threatening. No one has been arrested.

July 28: A man was shot in the back about 9 p.m. in the parking lot of his apartment building at 210 S. Hanover St. The victim was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center. Police arrested Gabriel Derice Houseman, 20, of Cape Girardeau on July 31. Houseman was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He was sentenced to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections by Judge Michael Gardner on April 4 for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Aug. 1: Two people were shot — one in the torso and the other in the foot — about 11 p.m. near the corner of Benton and Bloomfield streets. Both were admitted to hospitals, but authorities did not release information about the victims’ identities or medical conditions. No one has been arrested.

Oct. 6: Howard Harris Smith Jr., 42, of Cape Girardeau was shot and killed at 9:43 p.m. near 911 Ranney Ave. Police found Smith’s body lying face-down on a slight embankment in the yard. An autopsy determined Smith was killed by a gunshot. Police placed a person of interest into custody Oct. 12 but did not release any identifying information. As part of an investigation by the Major Case Squad and Cape Girardeau police, Jarvis Patterson, 27, of Cape Girardeau was arrested Oct. 21 and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. No one has been charged in relation to Smith’s death, according to the Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Patterson is scheduled for a case review May 2.

Nov. 5: A man was shot in the back at 11:46 p.m. and police could not determine an exact location because the victim continued to move after he was shot. Police went to the intersection of College Street and Henderson Avenue, but they also investigated the corner of Henderson Avenue and Jefferson Street and the intersection of Independence and Lorimier streets. No one has been arrested.

Nov. 15: Quinton Combs, 24, of Cape Girardeau was shot and killed about 2 a.m. in the 500 block of South Frederick Street. Several neighbors said several shots were fired. Police interviewed a person of interest, Darion T. Harris, 19, of Cape Girardeau on Nov. 16. The area where Combs was killed was known as a large gathering place, and police estimate as many as 60 people may have been in the vicinity during the shooting. No one has been arrested.

Dec. 2: A man was shot several times in his lower body about 12:45 p.m. near the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Middle Street. He took himself to Southeast Hospital. Police were looking for a black Chrysler 200 after the shooting. Public information officer Adam Glueck said police were concerned about innocent bystanders being struck by bullets because the shooting occurred in the middle of the day. No one has been arrested.

Dec. 5: Darion T. Harris, 19, of Cape Girardeau is accused of shooting at his girlfriend’s father after an argument about 5 p.m. on North Henderson Street. Harris was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action Dec. 10. His case is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing at noon June 27, and the trial is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. July 13.

Dec. 11: Brujae Lane was shot in the back about 9 p.m. at 915 S. Pacific St. Tahjay D. Matthews, 21, of Cape Girardeau and Lane were playing video games and betting when an altercation began that led to Matthews shooting Lane, according to a probable-cause report from Cape Girardeau police. Matthews turned himself in Dec. 14. He was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. Assistant prosecuting attorney Angel Woodruff said Matthews’ case was dismissed when Lane twice failed to show up for court.

Dec. 20: A 24-year-old man told police he was injured by flying glass caused by a flying bullet about 4:30 a.m. near the intersection of Hackberry and South Ellis streets. At the time, Glueck said the victim was being uncooperative in identifying his attacker. No one has been arrested.

March 16: A 38-year-old Cape Girardeau man was shot in both legs about 9:46 p.m. at the intersection of Bloomfield Road and Benton Street. The man took himself to Southeast Hospital, and police said he did not say much about the shooting. No one has been arrested.

March 31: Airious Darling, 28, of Cape Girardeau was shot and killed by a single bullet to the head about 9:20 p.m. while he was standing on the front porch of 612 Locust St., holding a baby. Tavious Tipler, 19, of Cape Girardeau was arrested April 2 and charged with Darling’s murder, as well as armed criminal action and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Several witnesses reported Darling was not the intended target of the shooting, according to a probable-cause report by the Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad. Tipler is scheduled for a preliminary hearing 11 a.m. Monday.

April 1: A man was shot in the leg about 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot near the apartment complex at 510 N. Fountain St. Police said several shots were fired. Police said the man was conscious when he was taken to a Cape Girardeau hospital. Glueck said the man was not willing to give investigators much information. No one has been arrested.

April 2: Two men said they and at least one other man exchanged shots about 2 a.m. at the Rhodes 101 convenience store at 1126 N. Sprigg St. Police arrested Darian Jamaar Engram, 23, and Keshawn Maurice Childress, 27, both of Mound City, Illinois, about 12 hours later. They possessed two guns at the time, and police found a spent shell casing in their vehicle. They told police they were shooting in self-defense and had no idea who was shooting at them. Engram and Childress were charged with unlawful use of a weapon. Childress is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. April 26. In Engram’s case, a motion of change of judge was granted April 7.

bkleine@semissourian.com

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